‘Chandigarh gave me mix of rootedness and exposure that upped my game’

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‘Chandigarh gave me mix of rootedness and exposure that upped my game’

At home in Chandigarh on a personal visit over the weekend, actor, singer and now shayar (in his own words), Ayushmann Khurrana spoke exclusively to Etimes about how this city shaped his

destiny as an actor. Do you still miss Chandigarh, or is Mumbai home now? I always miss Chandigarh, it will always be home. I owe a lot to the city because it has given me a lot. I also miss it because of the kind of city it is, and the sense of nostalgia attached with it.Coming from an apparently 'small' city, was it tougher to get integrated into a place like Mumbai? Fortunately, this era belongs to everyone. If you have talent, you will get there, somehow. This the time when things are operating beyond your 'contacts'. Casting system has become so streamlined; that you audition and you get selected basis talent. It has become so democratic. At the same time, Chandigarh is a small city but I got the right exposure at the right time. When I was 18 we started venturing out and participating in shows across the country with DAV College's theatre club, Aaghaaz. We were the first from a small city to go to IIT Powai and BITS Pilani, where we faced tough competition with students from other bigger cities. I remember, when we went to Pilani for the first time, we were so bad, and we thought we were good. But when we saw their level of performance, we had to up our game. And we did that and came first in IIT Powai in 2003. That was the first time a non-metro city won. When I first participated in reality shows, was the time when they had just started in India. So, the amalgamation of rootedness and exposure really worked in my favour.

You think luck had anything to do with it?

Well, you need fortune for sure, especially at this day, where there is no dearth of talent. Life has become like musical chairs, when the music stops, there has to be an empty chair right next to you. The films you do, are the genres your choice? Or, after doing a Vicky Donor, the pattern of offers repeated themselves? You need to build a space for yourself in the industry, which I am glad I have done in last six years. I want to own this genre- own this space. I'm glad that it has happened, whether it's Vicky Donor, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, or Shubh Mangal Savdhan, Bareilly Ki Barfi. All are content based cinema, with a certain quirk to it. I would love to change genres as well, but to begin with, I think we need a script that is novel and different. You were tweeting about #Learntoreadwith AK. What's that about?It was World Book Day and we thought, let's talk about books for a change. I've started writing shayari, another side of me I discovered since six months. I love reading Hindi books- Munshi Premchand, Manto… though I studied English literature, the genre I read are varied. And I was really surprised that 18-19 year-olds are interested in poetry. I thought maybe I am the last generation interested in Premchand or Harivansh Rai Bachchan. But the depth of these youngsters' emotions is so profound.Any plans to write your own lyrics for songs?I write my own lyrics for singles, but it doesn't matter if I write my own songs or not, because all I am looking for is, more content. I have written more songs also, so I will be cutting three more singles this year, and have a musical tour with Arijit Singh in the US.

Being versatile, does it open you to more professional options? As an artist there is no agenda that I need for gratification. As an artist, all you need is passion. At the same time I really admire people who have done a lot of things, like Kishore Kumar, sang songs, wrote them, directed a film, he acted too, or KL Saigal. I aspire to be like them. I only get time to write, to do independent music. I was approached once to sing for someone else, but I don't lend my voice for some other actor. While doing so much, do you manage enough time for family?

It's difficult, but I make it a point that when I am shooting, they are there for me for a few days at least. But I am only six years old and have a long way to go in the industry. I need to dedicate more time to my craft. We all live for our passions. But also, we have to nurture the next generation. I am young father, I do my best for my kids, though have a long way to go. I am glad for a partner like Tahira, who is also pursuing her own passion- is an author, made short film, and is writing a script too.

You would be her first preference to cast in it, we assume?

I don't think so. Her main protagonists are women.

What about your kids?

Right now there is a conscious effort to keep the kids away from spotlight. They don't watch my films. Of course they can't watch Vicky Donor, Shubh Mangal…it would be difficult to explain to them (laughs).

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